Bless Her Heart by Sally Kilpatrick

It’s taken me far too long to get to this book in the pile – apologies to new to me author Sally Kilpatrick and Kensington for the delay- but this southern woman’s fiction title is clever and fun, and anyone who is from the south (or some parts of elsewhere) will instantly understand the connotations of the title

Bless Her Heart

Most in the south know, a simple “Bless Her Heart” is used in many ways, the honest and open goodwill is often the least of them. In fact, those three words are Posey’s least favorite in the English language – and you can believe she feels she’s heard (or used) it more than once. Married for five years to a rather controlling and wholly uncaring husband, and working in his ministry as an administrative assistant, she wakes one day to find him gone, the car repossessed and her bills piling up. With few to no options presenting themselves, she moves back to live with her mother Lark, a house she left hoping to find security, stability and a chance at her family being more “Leave it to Beaver” than Roseanne.

Years with a more restrictive life focused on her husband’s ‘flock’ and the good works of the ministry, Posey’s married life was structured and moving forward – the only thing she thought was missing was a child. But, after the devastation of her marriage’s end, she’s in a bit of a crisis: while she truly tried to be good (as defined by her husband and their position) she’s left with nothing – and there should be something more. But, her crisis isn’t simple. Her sister suggests she finds her ‘goodness’ in travelling through the Seven Deadly Sins – and we are off.

While the theme of this title does run into Christianity, the use of the sins and Posey’s reactions to her own testing of limits show that faith and belief, as well as an honest confrontation and realignment of those beliefs in lieu of new information, situations and even perspectives is both important and integral to learning to move on and find your path. Sure, there are moments when it overwhelms, but the core story is there – one of growth, self-affirmation and how to find your own path through the minefield that is often presented by family, friends and expectations. Posey missteps, redirects and redesigns her life, her beliefs and even herself as the story continues: with input from her family and friends and plenty of humor, the story is fun and easy to read – leaving readers with hope that change is possible and can be a positive, if you attack it in the right way.

Laugh-out-loud funny and unabashedly uplifting, with just the right amount of Southern sass, Sally Kilpatrick's wonderful novel centers on one woman's journey from unhappy marriage to a surprising second chance . . . On the day Posey Love discovers that her born-again husband has been ministering to some of his flock a little too eagerly, she also learns that he's left her broke and homeless. Posey married Chad five years ago in hopes of finding the stability her hippie mother couldn't provide. Instead she got all the trappings of security--house, car, seemingly respectable husband--at the price of her freedom. Posey's mother, Lark, accepts her daughter's return home with grace, though her sister can't resist pointing out that being a sweet Southern wife hasn't worked out as planned. And so, with the Seven Deadly Sins as a guide, Posey decides to let loose for once. Envy is easy to check off the list--Posey only has to look at her best friend's adorable baby for that. One very drunken night at The Fountain bar takes care of gluttony. As for lust--her long-time friend, John, is suddenly becoming much more than a pal. One by one, Posey is bulldozing through her old beliefs about love, family--and what it really means to be good. And she's finding that breaking a few rules might be the perfect way to heal a heart . . .

A copy of this title was provided via Publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About Sally Kilpatrick

Born and raised in West Tennessee, Sally Kilpatrick graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a BA in English. At UT she met and married a Georgia boy. They now live in Marietta, Georgia, with their two kids. She holds a Masters in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University and taught high school Spanish for eight years before taking a sabbatical to write and mother full time. In addition to reading and writing, Sally likes traveling, historic house tours, running, religious studies, and all things geek.